It's a golden time for Austintown church

A year of activities revolving around '50' will be highlighted with a public dinner in November.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
AUSTINTOWN -- "This is my church family," said Edith "Edie" Baun Muzenic, a charter member of Wickliffe Presbyterian Church, 45 N. Idlewood Drive. "I live and die here.
"Being here and a part of the church is my life. They are like family," said Muzenic. She numbers among the 160 charter members who attended the first worship service April 3, 1955, Palm Sunday, at Davis Elementary School in Wickliffe, where the church first began. The formal constituting of the church took place Nov. 20, 1955.
Muzenic, along with Warner Cole, Jean Scott, Gail Wayne and Flora Davis are charter members who have remained at the church.
Booklet
Muzenic's memory of how Wickliffe began has been recorded, along with other church-related memories, in a booklet, "50 Years of Faith and Memories," that was compiled in observance of the golden anniversary.
Muzenic's memory involves "a nice older lady," Julia Spickard, a member of the National Board of Missions, knocking on her door and asking if the family would be interested in attending a start-up church. Muzenic wrote, "Dorothy Brown, my next door neighbor and friend (and our long-time secretary) came over and said, 'Shall we give it a try?' Miss Spickard was in the mission field and represented Presbytery and some of the downtown churches, who thought we should have a church in the suburbs. One of the pastors was Rev. Paul Gauss, who filled in many times in our pulpit. Then on Palm Sunday we signed the charter, and that's how our church was born."
Yearlong celebration
Celebrating the birth of the church and now its 50th anniversary is a yearlong observance being orchestrated by Kerry Price, anniversary chairwoman. The highlight will be a dinner at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Saxon Club. The event will include music, a slide show and surprises. Those interested in attending should call the church at (330) 792-6441. The church also has a Web site, www.wickliffepc.com that features anniversary and general information.
Working with Price are committee members, Barb McKinney, Darlene Donatiello, Bill O'Hara, Carrie Hurd, Mike Caspary, Debby Fabian, Bill Cooper, Gary Booher and Muzenic. There also will be a program and a worship service at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 6.
Price said activities saluting the 50th year began at the first of the year with the theme, "50 Years of Faith." Activities involving "50" were planned and included: January, a sock drive that aimed for 50 but collected about 120; February, bookmarks made with 50 Bible verses of love; March, banners made by Debby Fabian to decorate the sanctuary; April, national gospel singers, Talley Trio, performed and 50 cents from every ticket went toward care packages for soldiers in Iraq; May, balloon launch of 50 gold balloons; June and July, collection of memories for "50 Years of Faith and Memories"; and August, old Bibles and hymnals were sent to Gulf Coast churches and members bought new ones.
Among excerpts from the "50 Years of Faith and Memories" booklet are:
*Sandy Watters: "A custom of Wickliffe that is especially meaningful to me is placing flowers on the cross Easter morning in celebration of Christ's resurrection. What a beautiful act of worship we can have there. It's one of the many memories I will have from our time with you."
*Dolores Caspary: "I remember when my youngest granddaughter, Emily Lucas, was about 2 years old. She was standing on the pew seat, hymn book upside down, singing her heart out when the hymns were sung each Sunday morning."
*Bruce Mook: My special memories are the people, my church family. Raising my children here. Being in the choir has brought me great joy. Choir practice is a like a night out for me. Much fun and hard work. The people here stand by you through happiness and sorrow. Watching families grow. I think I've seen four generations in the pews since I've been here. God bless you all."
Dinner plans, projects
In the fall, the church members' attention turned toward the anniversary dinner.
While the anniversary committee is in the midst of planning for the anniversary, scheduled activities continue. Discovery group focuses on Bible study, a men's group meets for breakfast once a month and the Esther Circle, a women's group, organizes meals for funerals.
Donatiello, who also is choir director, explained that the eight deacons are the compassionate part of the church leadership and the 12 elders, the business side.
"Deacons have various mission projects, including donating Bibles to new Habitat [for Humanity] houses, participating in Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes [a holiday charity project], mitten-hat tree for the rescue mission and head-to-toe tree that gives items to all family members from babies to the fathers," she said.
Price said other activities involving church members are the annual September tailgate party. "We wear football and baseball jerseys to services and the party," Price said. Other activities were a hayride this month, summer church picnic, Easter egg hunt and Christmas events.
Though the church is an active and engaging place with all its groups and activities, it is faith and the congregation that draws and retains members.
"I was born here," said Donatiello, whose parents, Eleanor and Fred Donatiello, also are members. "The people here are very compassionate ... they are the church," she said.
She started in the choir in ninth grade, and when the former director retired, Donatiello took over. "It's been 10 years now," she said.
"I was led back here," Price said, noting that she had attended the church, married and moved away and then returned. Her parents, Bill and Nancy O'Hara, also are members. "You can't help but like them," Bill O'Hara said of the members.